80 year old Japanese touring cyclist killed

Philip Davis

A rather sad story here in Reuters:

Round-Japan cyclist killed hours from home

JAPAN: An 80-year-old man on the verge of completing a round-Japan cycling tour was struck and killed by a truck yesterday only a few hours ride from his home, police said.
Kamesaburo Harano, a resident of the central prefecture of Nagano, set off in April 2006 to circle his homeland, Kyodo news agency said, and had just arrived back in Nagano.
One internet cycling page carries a photograph of a fit and healthy, smiling Harano taken last October, standing by a bicycle laden with panniers on the picturesque southern island of Yakushima.
Police said he was struck and killed while cycling in a tunnel.
"Probably he would have made it home in a couple of hours, certainly within the day," a police spokesman in Nagano said.
¸ 2007 Reuters


I love cycling in Japan, but those tunnels they have everywhere scare the hell out of me. I always told myself that Japanese drivers were far more cautious than in Europe - seems that its not always the case.

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I hate to advocate drugs, violence or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.' Hunter S. Thompson

pw2389

That's sad to hear.

I'm off around Hokkaido and part of the Japan Alps in 3 weeks time so will see if I can avoid the tunnels.

Any tips on finding accommodation or camping in Japan, Philip? I haven't decided whether to cycle-camp or try my luck finding accommodation at the end of the day.

thomasb

Hi pw

Never cycle-toured in Japan but wild camped (bivvy bag / shelter type) a lot in the 80s and early 90s. Wild camping was accepted and rarely seen as threatening. Can't imagine it will have changed much. Bear in mind, tho that much of rural Japan is either rice paddy or forest. In Hokkaido there's more pasture and european-style arable land, plus you'll have the flexibility that a bike gives.

Philip Davis

There is accommodation all over the place, but the tourist season there is highly seasonal - if you misstime a visit you can find most cheaper (minshuku) accommodation either all closed, or all booked out. I think mid summer is peak season for Hokkaido - less so for the alps. Even in a touristy area (Lake Biwa) I found it hard to get accommodation sometimes in early April. But you usually will find something. You are rarely far from a town, and so business hotels can be a reasonably priced fall back if nothing with more character is available.

Camping is quite easy. You'll find lots of campsites marked on 'Touring Mapple' guides (these are motorcycle tourist maps, ideal for cycle touring). I didn't do much of it, but there didn't seem to be much of a problem with wild camping, even in public parks.

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I hate to advocate drugs, violence or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me.' Hunter S. Thompson